Jet and Suki
by crazy4purple23
Summary: So...what were Jet and Suki up to before Secret of the Fire Nation.  And what has become of them now?  It's all in here in two curiously parallel stories...this is NOT a shipping story! Oct 29 Chapter SIX the second to last chapter!
1. Realization and Revelation

**NOTE**: This is not a shipping!!! It's about what happened to Jet and Suki during 1) the parts when they weren't in the show before _Secret of the Fire Nation_ and 2) after their encounters with Azula/the Dai Lee. Enjoy!

**Jet and Suki**

Ch1

Suki

Suki watched as Sokka, Katara, and of course, Avatar Aang flew off into the distance leaving Kyoshi island far behind. She had remained transfixed as the Avatar miraculously managed to train the Unagi to quench the fires of her village. As she helped the other Kyoshi Warriors to start to rebuild what had been destroyed in the village she felt as if her mind was on another dimension. Being sixteen, she had had crushes before, but none like this. What if she never saw Sokka again? He was risking her life to defeat the powerful Fire Nation. Why shouldn't she do the same?

"Suki, are you alright?" asked her friend Lia, another of the Kyoshi Warriors when Suki had stood staring off into the distance for a good minute when she should have been helping rebuild a house.

"Li, I've been thinking, why can't we go and help defeat the Fire Nation? Why do we have to stay here?"

"I dunno…we're needed to help defend the village here?"

"Yeah, but there are probably more people out there, in the rest of the Earth Kingdom who are suffering from the Firelord's oppressive tyranny who need our protection more!" Suki turned and looked her friend in the eye. "Would you be willing to leave Kyoshi Island and help others in the Earth Kingdom?"

"I guess…but I've never left the island before."

"Neither have I, but tonight I'm going to ask Oyaji if we can go help the troops in the Earth Kingdom."

"What if he says no?" asked Lia.

"I don't care. I'm going." And with that Suki returned to her work without another word.

"Suki, dear, you've been so busy all day. Where are you off to now?" Suki's mother asked her much later. Her mother, a retired Kyoshi warrior, had been helping heal those who had been injured.

"I have to talk to Oyaji about something." Replied Suki.

"Does it have to do with the Avatar?"

"Yes! I want to go and fight the Fire Nation." Her mother raised her eyebrows in reply. "Come on Mom. Just imagine if you were my age, you'd want to do the same thing." Suki's mother sighed.

"Come on, I'll help you convince Oyaji to let you go. He's bound to be reluctant to let his best warrior just leave…"

* * *

Jet

Two weeks after Suki watched the Avatar fly away on his bison, Jet was doing the same. He gazed off into the distance as the bison with the beautiful girl, Katara, her troublesome brother Sokka and Aang, the young naïve avatar, gradually grew smaller and smaller until he could see them no more. He had no choice but to watch them, really, he legs, arms, and entire body was frozen to the tree. He could have summoned his Freedom Fighters to come to him in a second, but he wanted time alone to think…

_"Jet you monster!"_ Katara's words seemed to echo in his head. Was he really the monster? Jet shivered slightly, partially from the thought, and partially from the ice encasing his body. Maybe it was time to try something new.

Jet waited until he was completely thawed before going back to the hideout. He was greeted cheerily by everyone there.

"Jet, where were you?" asked the Duke.

"Yeah, where were you?" added others in the group.

"And where's the Avatar?" someone else asked.

"Quiet down and I'll explain." said Jet. Immediately everyone quieted down. There were two basic groups of the Freedom Fighters. One was Jet's group, those who were included on daily outings, kids like Smellerbee, Longshot, the Duke, and Pipsqueak. Then, there were the others, who were too young or just uninterested in fighting, such as the younger children and several older girls who cooked and looked after everyone to make sure no one made trouble. All eyes were on Jet as he continued to talk.

"The dam exploded and the village was destroyed—" several people cheered, "but, no one was hurt when the village flooded. The Avatar's friend, Sokka, warned the villagers and they evacuated in time."

"Including the Fire Nation soldiers?" asked Smellerbee, she was the only girl who refused to cook and wanted to fight. Jet nodded solemnly.

"This mission may seem like a failure, but it is a success. The Fire Nation will have nowhere to stay in the valley and they will have to leave. Also, I have had time to think, and I believe that it is best that we leave this valley, and go to Ba-Sing-Se, as refugees." There were murmurs among the small crowd as Jet finished his speech.

"So we're not gonna fight the Fire Nation anymore?" asked another one of the Freedom Fighters, a boy named Sneers.

"Nope. So we should all start to pack up our things and get ready to travel, by say, next week?" The was a general agreement and the kids cleaned up dinner and went to sleep.


	2. Preparations and Plans

Ch2

Suki

"No, no and no!"

"But why not?" asked Suki for the umpteenth time.

"It's too dangerous, for you and the village! Who will defend the village if it is attacked again? The journey is treacherous as well." Answered Oyaji firmly.

"We could come out of retirement to protect the village!" Suki's mother protested. "I think the girls should be allowed to go help out Earth Kingdom resistances."

"And only those who want to go could go." Added Suki. "We won't force anyone who is uncomfortable with leaving." At that, Suki shot a glance at Lia who had accompanied her and her mother to talk to Oyaji. She knew that Lia was definitely unsure about leaving the island, but she had to come! Lia was a good, capable warrior and she should help the Earth Kingdom.

"Yeah," said Lia meekly, obviously trying to put as much meaning in it as possible. Oyaji sighed.

"The Avatar must have really inspired you." He commented.

"Um…yeah I guess." Replied Suki. The truth was, Sokka had inspired her more…despite everything, he really was an extremely brave warrior.

"Well, you can do your protecting here! And that's final!" he said at the look on Suki's and her mother's faces. "Good night."

"I guess that's that!" said Lia briskly as they left.

"Oh, we're still going." Said Suki confidently. "Just now we have to sneak away from Kyoshi Island." Lia groaned. "We'll arrange a meeting with all the girls to decide who is going to go and who is going to stay." Decided Suki. She turned to Lia. "and you're coming!"

"See you tomorrow," mumbled Lia, slightly annoyed, as she went to her hut.

"You'll help us leave, right Mom?" asked Suki to her mother, after Lia had left.

"Yes, of course." She answered. "Oyaji will just have to deal with it." Suki smiled, glad that her mom still had some of her warrior spirit after more than fifteen years in retirement.

The meeting the next day was arranged to be at twilight in secret. All warriors were required to attend. Suki was the first there, she watched as all the girls came in looking curious. All wondering what the meeting was about.

"Girls," began Suki. Waiting until the entire room quieted, she continued, "Two days ago, the Avatar was here. He came here and he brought with him the troubles of the outside world. They citizens of the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribe need us. We can't stay here in our little island bubble while people are being killed and hurt in the outside world.

"What I want to do is to leave Kyoshi island and help battle the massive Fire Nation army. Lia, my mother and I spoke with Oyaji last night. He does not approve of us leaving for fear that we will be attacked in our absence. Of course, we are not going to force anyone to come to the Earth Kingdom or not but we hope that at least five or so others will want to go…" she trailed off at the expressions on some of the girls' faces.

"Wait, how can we go if Oyaji doesn't approve? He's head of the island." Asked a girl in the front.

"Well, we'd have to sort of sneak away. But, my mother supports us and is willing to help." Answered Suki. "Any other questions?"

"What are we going to do once we get to the Earth Kingdom?" asked another girl. "We didn't do much good against the couple firebenders who came to the island. How are we supposed to fight a whole army?"

"For one thing, we did _fine_ against the firebenders who came here." Responded Suki defensively. "and we'd be assisted by earthbenders when we're fighting." She paused to allow more questions, but there were none. "So, who's in?" No one raised their hands until Lia tentatively raised hers. After that, several others followed. "Those who want to fight come up here so I can take down your names." Lia and four other girls stood up. Suki wrote their names down: Lia, Sima, Tashi, Keya, and Mian. Sima and Mian were experienced warriors, but Tashi and Keya were quite young.

"Remember! This meeting was a secret, so don't tell anyone, okay?" Suki reminded the warriors as they left. For the first time since she had thought of her plan, she felt a genuine feeling of nerves seeming to creep through her entire body.

* * *

Jet

Jet went around the treetop hideout, observing the preparations that the kids were doing.

"How's that packing going?" he asked Longshot. The silent archer grinned and showed a thumbs up.

"Jet!" yelled Smellerbee, swinging across one of the many zip lines that connected the hideout. "There's a kid coming." Jet and Longshot turned to face her.

"What do you mean?" asked Jet.

"I mean a boy, about your age, coming to the hideout. I think he's from the village we destroyed and is homeless now."

"Oh," said Jet. "Well, I should probably go meet him." He followed Smellerbee to meet the boy. He dropped out of the tree and landed directly in front of the boy. The boy jumped in surprise and withdrew two swords, similar to the ones Jet used.

"Whoa!" he said. "Are you Fire Nation."

"No." responded Jet. "Are you Fire Nation?"

"Nope." Answered the boy coolly putting his swords back in the sheath on his back. "But I can't be too careful after those firebenders flooded my village."

"Yeah, you can never be too careful around here." Said Jet as guiltless about flooding the village as he could be. "This forest is practically crawling with them."

"I'd love to fight some firebenders." Commented the boy. "I used to fight them in the village, but now that it's flooded, most of them have left. Good riddance."

"Yes, good riddance. I'm Jet." Said Jet. The boy was silent for a moment before saying,

"I'm Mutiny." The boy said smirking slightly. "They used to call me that at the village because I was the only one who stood up to those soldiers."

"And I'm Smellerbee." Piped up Smellerbee from up in the tree where she had been listening. "We were Freedom Fighters, but we're going to Ba-Sing-Se to live soon."

"Do you people live in trees?" asked Mutiny.

"Yeah," said Jet. "I'll take you to the hideout."


	3. Sedition and Sneaking Away

Yes, despite a busy first week of high school (yay freshmen!) I managed to get this third chapter done...so enjoy! And Oyaji, in case you were confused, is the bearded guy who appareas to be in charge of Kyoshi Island.

* * *

Ch 3 

Suki

Suki checked and double checked her bag. Makeup—check. Hairbrush—check. Extra clothes—check. Extra fans—check. It was all there but that couldn't stop the feeling of nervousness she had.

"Suki?" called her mother from the other room. "Are you all packed?"

"Yes, Mom." Answered Suki. She grabbed her bag and went to join her mother in the other room. As soon as entered the room, her mother gave her such a big hug that it nearly smudged her makeup.

"Oh, you look just like I did when I was your age!" her mother commented, her eyes watering. "Please, _please_ be take care and be safe!"

"I know, Mom." Said Suki. "and you know that I can take care of myself. You said it yourself, I'm like you when you were younger." Her mother smiled weakly, two tears sliding down her face.

"I know, but I'm not a young warrior anymore. I'm your mother." She hugged Suki again. "you've grown up so fast!" They broke away from their embrace. "I'm going to go make sure Oyaji doesn't discover you girls sneaking away. So…" she wiped away her tears. "Good bye…and good luck." She turned and headed off into the night. Suki took a deep breath then proceeded to the edge of the island where she was going to meet the girls.

Suki saw Lia first when she arrived. Lia was tending to the boat that they would be taking to the mainland. Keya and Mian were responsible for food that they would have on the journey.

"Lia!" whispered Suki causing her friend to jump.

"Suki! You're here!" exclaimed Lia.

"Who else is here?" asked Suki.

"Everyone except Tashi." Answered Lia. Suki peered into the boat to see Mian, Keya, and Sima looking back up at her grinning. "She had to go back to her house real quick and grab some stuff she forgot."

"Okay," said Suki. "We'll leave as soon as she comes. The sooner the better."

"I think I see someone coming!" said Mian pointing out into the dark.

"It looks like too people…" said Suki trailing off seeing who the second figure was. "Oyaji!" she muttered. Oyaji was half-dragging poor Tashi who looked quite unhappy.

"Suki, I thought your mom was supposed to make sure that Oyaji didn't find out about us sneaking away." Hissed Sima.

"She was supposed to…" muttered Suki. Oyaji approached them and Tashi managed to wriggle out of his grip and ran behind Suki as though she believed that Suki would protect her from any more of Oyaji's wrath.

"So, you decided to go anyway…" observed Oyaji, examining the six Kyoshi warriors, their boat, and their supplies.

"Yes," retorted Suki, "and you can't stop us. It's all six of us against just one of you." Oyaji just smiled.

"Don't worry, I have no intentions of stopping you."

"Really?" asked Tashi peaking out from behind Suki tentatively. Oyaji shook his head.

"If you're not going to stop us now, then why did you say no before?" questioned Suki. Oyaji sighed.

"Suki, I still remember when you were a little girl. You were first to raise your hand when it came time to choosing who the next batch of Kyoshi warriors were going to be. You were always headstrong and ambitious…always wanting to be the best you could be…and you still are. I knew that even if I said no, that you would be out here going anyway. You always follow your heart Suki. You are always unselfish, never stopping in your quest to help others." He paused, and looked in the other direction.

"But you still didn't answer why you said no…" said Suki, trying not to let her tone sound harsh.

"I said no…" he said finally. "because you're one of the best Kyoshi warriors since, well, your mother. I know it sounds bad and extremely selfish but it made sense to me at the time. I just didn't want to let you leave and leave our little island where you've always been such a great help."

"But, Oyaji…" said Suki putting her hand on his shoulder. "When the war's over, I'll come back."

"We'll all come back." Added Lia. The Kyoshi Warriors crowded around him in a huge group hug. Then, silently, they all turned at once to head back to the boat. As Suki was about to step inside the tiny vessel, Oyaji stopped her.

"One last thing," he said. She turned to face him. The others were getting settled in the boat. He took her hand and in it placed a small carved talisman. "This belonged to Avatar Kyoshi herself." He told her. "She kept it for good luck, and now I am giving it to you, in the hope that your luck will be as good as hers was." Suki didn't know what to say.

"Thank you." She finally managed to whisper. She placed the talisman in her dress pocket and entered the boat. "Alright, girls, get read to paddle!" They all grabbed their oars, ready to leave their island home far behind. As Suki paddled she watched Oyaji on the shore as his silhouette grew smaller and smaller until he, and the coast of island could no longer be seen.

Her quest to help the world had begun.

* * *

Jet

"So, where did you say you all are going?" asked Mutiny, after a brief tour around the hideout.

"Ba Sing Se." answered Jet. "We're leaving this forest and this valley for the shelter of the greatest Earth Kingdom city."

"What did you call yourselves? Freedom Fighters?" commented Mutiny. "Because it doesn't seem to me like you're fighting for freedom."

"Hey, we used to fight firebenders on a near-daily basis!" said Smellerbee defensively. "but we think its best for everyone to go to Ba Sing Se." Mutiny shrugged in response.

"If it was me, I would stay and keep fighting those firebenders until we had stamped out every last one." Jet rolled his eyes. Mutiny was exactly like him several years ago…but Jet was one step ahead of him. He had done his share of bad things, and he had learned to feel regret and remorse. Though, Jet did find it amusingly ironic that Mutiny was so eager to attack firebenders for destroying his village, when he really should be attacking Jet and the Freedom Fighters. What Mutiny didn't know could never hurt him… "When are you leaving, Jet?" asked Mutiny interrupting Jet's thoughts.

"Tomorrow." Said Jet firmly. "And you can either come, or stay in this forest, I'm not going to make your choices for you."

That night was their last dinner in the hideout. Nearly everyone pitched in with the cooking and preparing making a giant feast. After they had finished eating Jet had planned to give another speech about what they were to do once they left, but before he could stand up, Mutiny stood and began talking.

"I know that some of you might have met me, but I would like to formally introduce myself. My name is Mutiny and my village was destroyed several days ago by a flood." There were slight whispers after that comment by the main group of Freedom Fighters who had assisted in flooding the village but Mutiny continued talking anyway.

"Now, your leader, Jet, has invited me to come with you all to Ba Sing Se, but I don't want to hide while firebenders destroy the world. I still want to stay here and fight. You have an excellent hideout here, practically limitless food supplies, and a great life here. Why would any of you want to leave it? Sounds like madness in my opinion. Anyone who wants to stay is welcome to do so with me. That is all." He sat down.

_Who does this guy think he is?_ Thought Jet to himself. _Coming in here, expecting my Freedom Fighters to suddenly just start listening to him?_ Jet tried to hide his skeptical smirk, at the preposterous idea.

After dinner was finished, Jet returned to his tree-house to discover Mutiny was there.

"Hey," said Mutiny nonchalantly, lying on the cot that used to be Jet's. "You don't mind me taking over your tree-house?"

"Whatever," replied Jet in annoyance. "But you can't have it tonight." He shoved Mutiny off the small cot. Mutiny turned and left the tree-house and Jet resisted the strong urge to throw one of his swords at the back of Mutiny's irritating head. Sighing, he lied down on the thin mattress and closed his eyes to rest.

The next thing he knew, he was awoken by a cold burst of water hitting him in the face. All the Freedom Fighters were around him and he realized that he was tied down and couldn't move. Mutiny leered down at him.

"So, it was _you_ who commandeered the destruction of my village."

"Okay, yes! But it was to make the firebenders leave." Answered Jet. "Who told you?"

"I have my sources." Replied Mutiny.

"You're not called Mutiny for nothing!" commented Jet looking at the Freedom Fighters that were circled around him but two were missing. "Where are Longshot and Smellerbee?" he demanded.

"That scrawny little girl and that silent archer?" asked Mutiny. Jet nodded vigorously. "They're right here." Several of the others pushed Smellerbee and Longshot forward. Their hands and mouths were bound.

"Let them go!" shouted Jet. "We're leaving for Ba Sing Se in the morning and we'll be gone for good."

"Leave now." Replied Mutiny. "I'll give you your weapons and cut you free if you leave now."

"Deal." Said Jet. Mutiny snapped his fingers and Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot were released.

"We'll give you your weapons once you're out of the hideout." Explained Mutiny as he lead Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot out of the tree house they were in.

"And Longshot wants his hat too." Added Smellerbee nervously. Someone in the crowd threw Longshot's favorite hat at him and he caught it, smiling grimly. They all descended onto the forest floor.

"Good bye!" yelled Jet up at the people that used to be his Freedom Fighters. The last of the kids climbed back up into the trees and the ladder was pulled up. "And good riddance, you double crossers." Muttered Jet. Smellerbee's and his swords were dropped down, along with Longshot's bow and arrows and the last sounds of feet above them disappeared. They were alone, three outcasts in a big, big world.

* * *

one last thing...a sedition is (as defined by encarta dictionary) actions or words intended to provoke or incite rebellion against government authority, or such a rebellion. 


	4. Troubles and Travels

Ch 4

Suki

It was noon when Suki opened her eyes and the bright sunlight seemed to burn her very retinas. After rowing for several hours, they had decided to sleep in the boat. She yawned and stretched as well as she could without rocking the tiny craft. The other girls were still asleep and Suki didn't want to wake them. She took her oar and gave a few slow, huge strokes into the water causing the boat to glide along the water. She watched as the oar's ripples broke the smooth glassy surface of the water. She took her eyes off of the water and stared ahead at the vast ocean. She squinted. Was there something in the distance.

"Land!" she murmured. Suddenly, it hit her. She could see land! "Girls, girls wake up!"

"What?" mumbled Sima drowsily.

"Land?" asked Mian.

"Yes, look!" Suki pointed ahead.

"Finally!" exclaimed Lia. "'Cause I am so sea sick!"

"Are you going to, like, puke?" questioned Tashi backing as far away from Lia as she could.

"No, sick of the sea!" Lia answered. The girls all laughed and picked up their paddles to row some more.

Three hours later they reached the shore. The six girls eagerly left the boat to walk again on solid ground.

"Land! Thank goodness!" sighed Tashi lying down on the sandy shore.

"We were only in the boat for twelve hours." Suki pointed out sitting next to her.

"It felt like an eternity!" said Tashi.

"I can't believe how far we are from home." Commented Sima.

"Yeah," added Keya. She was quiet and shy, and hadn't spoken much during the entire journey.

"The furthest I've ever been from home is the far side of the island." Said Mian.

"Yeah," agreed the others. They all sighed together. The sun was beginning to set behind them as they unloaded the boat and set up camp. That night, by the light of the campfire, they sang songs and told ghost stories laughing cheerily, their grins illuminated by the flickering fire-light.

"…and then she left the house to follow the strange light when…THEY GOT HER!" shouted Mian finishing causing the other girls to jump and Tashi to scream loudly.

"Well, that's probably enough for tonight," said Suki when they had all regained their breath from laughing so hard. "I want to start up first thing tomorrow." The girls unrolled their sleeping bags and cleaned off their makeup to get ready to sleep. Before falling asleep, Suki took out the talisman from her dress pocket and held it tightly in her hand. She looked up at the large moon and the starry sky wishing for good luck on her travels, and that Sokka, wherever he was, was having good fortune as well.

"We're going to need more food soon." Announced Mian after they ate a short breakfast.

"There's a village up there on that cliff," suggested Sima, "they probably have food." Suki looked up at the village. Though the other warriors and she didn't know it, the village they were passing was the village of Chin; named for Chin the Great who Avatar Kyoshi killed hundreds of years ago and the villagers still held a mean grudge.

"I don't think going to that village is a good idea." Said Suki. The talisman in her pocket had burned red-hot for a second, sending a jolt up her arms.

"Why not?" asked Lia.

"Um…" Suki faltered for a moment before continuing, "something tells me that it's a bad idea, and that we should wait until we get to the next village." For some reason, Suki felt a little uneasy about telling the others about Kyoshi's talisman. The other girls nodded their heads, a little bit unhappily, but agreeing with Suki's judgment all the same. Suki placed her hand in her pocket and grasped the talisman with her fingers. It was cold now, as if it had never given her that strange warning.

Not long after passing the village of Chin, the girls reached another small fishing village. They purchased some fish and some fruit and ate a small yet filling lunch of salty fish sandwiches before heading off on their way. As they were about to leave the village, they spotted a small girl and boy.

They were both skinny and dirty, as if they hadn't eaten or bathed in many days. Both had matching dejected and hopeless expressions. Suki had never seen anything so sad and pitiable in her life. She walked over to them slowly.

"Here, do you want some fruit?" she asked them. Cautiously, the little girl, who seemed like the older of the two, reached out and took the melon that Suki offered her.

"Thank you," she said, her small voice like a whisper.

"Where are your parents?" Tashi questioned.

"Tashi, that's so rude!" snapped Mian elbowing Tashi who shrugged.

"Our dad is off at war," answered the girl, her voice quivering, "and our mother is sick."

"Maybe we could help her." Suggested Suki. "Could you take us to her?" The girl nodded. The Kyoshi warriors followed her into a small stuffy house.

"Mom, some girls are here to help you!" said the girl to a frail looking woman who was lying on a bed.

"Akoba, Yuxi? Is that you?"

"Yes, mom," said the boy, Yuxi, speaking for the first time, "these girls want to help you." The woman coughed before sitting up in her bed.

"You girls are very kind but I believe that I am beyond any medical help now" said the woman grimly. "But I thank you all very, very much for your kindness." A tear rolled down the woman's cheek. Seeing her mother's sadness, the little girl, Akoba began to sob.

"Don't cry," Said Lia trying to soothe the little girl, "we'll take care of you."

"What if we tried to take her to Ba-Sing-Se?" suggested Keya suddenly. "I bet they have excellent doctors in the Earth Kingdom capital."

"Yeah!" agreed Sima. "That's a great idea. And when we're in Ba-Sing-Se, we can find the Earth troops to help them."

"There is no hope for me," said the woman sadly. "I will not survive the journey."

"We can't give up hope!" exclaimed Suki. "You will get to Ba-Sing-Se and you will be healed and start a great new life there. Now let's pack up your stuff and get a move-on!"

Ten minutes later, the girls managed to construct a sort of stretcher for the sickly woman. They gathered all of Akoba's and Yuxi's clothes and headed on their way. Zima, Akoba and Yuxi's mother had hardly any clothes left. She had to sell them all to be able to try to feed her children.

Lack of food, Suki decided, must have added to Zima's weak state, and that with three full meals a day, she would begin to get better without a doctor. So, for every meal, Suki gave a portion of her ration to Zima in addition to what the woman had already. As for Akoba and Yuxi, having food to eat everyday brightened their spirits as well and showed that Akoba was nearly as talkative as Tashi (a relief for all the Kyoshi Warriors who were starting to get annoyed by Tashi's constant chatter).

Every day, as they walked through forest after forest, village after village, they would take turns carrying Zima's stretcher. Every night they set up camp and allowed the mother and her children to the one tent they had. It was tiring work, often times Suki felt as if she couldn't walk another step but still had a whole day of walking to do. By the time two weeks had gone by, the nighttime campfires were far from what they were that first night, but instead were silent times in which they all fell asleep almost right away. They hiked through mountains and slept in caves. They had to buy a passage across a massive desert. By the time they were on the other side of the desert, Zima could walk on her own for short distances without feeling too weak.

Two weeks later they reached the transportation place for the refugees…

* * *

Jet

_Alone…all alone, _thought Jet. The last time he had been really truly alone was when his family had been killed by the Fire Nation. Well, he still had Longshot and Smellerbee, but still. He had been accustomed to having the entirety of the Freedom Fighters behind him. He clenched his fists angrily. How could they have all betrayed him for that random new-comer Mutiny? Mutiny…he should have known with a name like that that he would be trouble…

"Jet, are you okay?" asked Smellerbee. She looked concerned.

"I'm fine." He grunted in reply.

"Well, I'm hungry, so I'm gonna go look for some leechee nuts." She said. "Come on, Longshot." He couldn't hide his sulk from Smellerbee and Longshot whom he knew so well. He kicked at the dead, fallen leaves sighing angrily. When Longshot and Smellerbee returned several minutes later, he had not moved from the spot.

"Here," said Smellerbee, pouring a couple nuts into Jet's hand, "this is all we could find." Jet took them silently. "What is your problem?" she asked angrily.

"I dunno." He mumbled in response.

"What happened to the Jet I used to know? The one who used to plan things! Who used to be so charismatic and brave!"

"I don't know!" he repeated. "You tell me now: where are we going to go?"

"Ba-Sing-Se!" she exclaimed, tears coming to her eyes. "Your original plan! Are we just gonna give it now just because we don't have the other Freedom Fighters?" Jet did not know how to respond. He had known Smellerbee for a long time and he didn't think that he had ever seen her cry. Longshot nodded solemnly in agreement. Jet took a deep breath.

"Okay, Ba-Sing-Se. That's where we'll go, happy? We'll create a new and better life for ourselves." Smellerbee wiped the tears off of her face and smiled as she ate her leechee nuts.

Jet knew the forest and the surrounding region like the back of his hand. Within no time, they were out of the forest and onto a pathway. They walked in silence. The trail was deserted. That night they camped out, all sitting dismally around the small fire they had built.

"To our new life," said Jet, speaking for the first time in hours. Smellerbee and Longshot smiled grimly in response. They had nothing to eat, so around the flickering firelight they laid to down to sleep. It took a long time for Jet to start to relax. As he felt himself drifting off, he saw a figure in the dark that seemed to be coming towards him.

He was instantly awake. He squinted into the dark trying to tell whether the person was a friend or an enemy. The figure got closer and Jet could see his face in the fading firelight. He didn't look dangerous, but instead, a traveler much like himself. The man turned his back to Jet to look around at the others. Jet stood up as quietly as he could.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" he asked causing the man to jump in surprise.

"I'm so sorry! I was just passing through. Are you refugees too?" the man asked quickly.

"Um, yes I guess." Answered Jet.

"What's going on?" mumbled Smellerbee waking up.

"Well, I'm heading to Ba-Sing-Se, to get away from the war with the Fire Nation." Explained the man.

"So are we." Said Smellerbee sitting up excitedly.

"We could all travel together!" exclaimed the man eagerly. "Or at least until we get to the boats…"

"There are boats to get to Ba-Sing-Se?" asked Jet.

"Yes, huge ships taking all the refugees!" said the man. "I have a map of how to find them."

"That's good." Replied Jet. "I'm Jet, what's your name?"

"Tong-kou." Said Tong-kou and with that he laid down by the fire and fell asleep. Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot, who had awoken, all exchanged puzzled looks before going back to sleep too.

Tong-kou, as they learned as they traveled the next day, had lost his only son fighting against Fire Nation soldiers in his village. Tong-kou had been wandering around the Earth Kingdom since, and he had just be given directions as to how to get to Ba-Sing-Se. Jet didn't want to tell him much about their past other than the fact that he had done some things that he regretted. Jet was glad to have someone telling them where to go because much past his forest, he had no idea where Ba-Sing-Se really was and Tong-kou seemed to know exactly where he was headed.

In return for Tong-kou sense of direction, Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot provided protection and food. Living wild in the forest had given them a good sense of edible plants and nuts. Also, there were many gangs who liked to attack innocent travelers, but Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot could fight them off easily. Tong-kou had a very positive attitude and Jet suspected that had their new friend not joined them, they probably would have ended up going separate ways.

As they grew closer to the refugee transport place, they were joined by more refugees on the crowded roads. Though the people came from many different places they all had one thing in mind. Everyone, Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot included, believed that Ba-Sing-Se would bring for them a great new life. Finally, after two weeks of traveling they saw it. A huge building where the crowds all converged, eager to start their new and better lives.

* * *

And now a word from the author...

I finally managed to piece togeher the scattered patches of free times I've had since school started! So sorry for the wait but high school is A LOT of work. Anyway, about the outcome of the story, I was originally planning to write about eight chapters, probably less, but I was recently looking at the spoiler reviews for "The Awakening" and in the pictures there were some pictures...that well, are probably going to pretty much tear up certain parts of my story, I mean, you'd have to look at the pictures to really understand. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who doesn't want it spoiled! So, read, review, comment etc. whether I should continue writing...you can find the link to the spoiler on (under the news from Animation Insider). Thanks again for reading!!!!!!! --M.


	5. Rejection and Refugees

So... last night I watched "The Awakening" and all I can say was YAY AVATAR IS BACK! So enjoy the newest installment of the story and a new episode of avatar next Friday :-D

* * *

Suki

"What do you mean, she can't get on the boat?" asked Suki angrily almost nose to nose with the woman in the booth. "She's got all the right paper work and everything."

"We do not allow persons with diseases on the ships to Ba-Sing-Se." answered the woman.

"But she needs a doctor, which is why she needs to go to Ba-Sing-Se!" shouted Suki drawing stares from the other refugees around her. The other Kyoshi warriors had escorted Akoba, Yuxi, and Zima away from the lines so Suki could try to convince the workers to let them on the boat.

"The children can go, but the mother cannot. End of story. Next!" but Suki refused to budge. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Look," she said a calmly as she could, "I carried that woman across deserts and forests, my warriors and I defended her and her children from robbers and bandits, and we have half healed her already, now if you think that I'm going to just give up and give in then you are completely wrong. She is getting into Ba-Sing-Se even if I have to fight my way onto that ship or take her across the Serpents Pass." The woman looked around then leaned closer to Suki.

"So, you're from a group of warriors, and you escorted her all the way here?" she asked quietly. Suki nodded. "Then perhaps I can make a deal with you about getting your friend into Ba-Sing-Se…"

* * *

Jet

"Wow, that girl is making quite a fuss." commented Smellerbee to Longshot. "Wonder what her problem is." Longshot, as always, did not reply but merely shrugged.

"Probably because she needs a passport." Said Jet, returning from another of the long lines of refugees. "Something that we don't have."

"Where are we going to get passports?" asked Smellerbee. Jet sighed.

"I know we want to start out fresh, but I think the only way we can get one is by stealing." He said looking around at the other refugees grimly.

* * *

Suki

Suki waved and waved as the boat left. As soon as it had disappeared on the horizon she turned and faced the others.

"Well, I guess it's time for us to get to work!" she said as cheerfully as she could. In order to let Zima on the boat, the girls had agreed to work as security at the boating place. They all looked a bit silly in their uniforms and without their makeup.

"This is gonna be so fun!" squealed Tashi excitedly.

"What's going to be fun about being the security?" grumbled Sima. "We get to be the people everyone is going to hate. Whoop-de-doo!"

"Well, hopefully, we won't have to throw anyone out." Said Lia. They reentered the building to see a very scary looking man harassing a family.

"Wishful thinking," said Mian going to fight the man off. Suki started to follow but stopped when she spotted someone familiar…Sokka?

* * *

Jet

"Look, all those guards are heading towards that guy, this is our chance!" muttered Jet as subtly as he could. The three approached a small family. The family just happened to be the same family that, after their passports were stolen, would cross the Serpents Pass with the avatar himself…

"Finally, we're heading to Ba-Sing-Se!" exclaimed Smellerbee once they were aboard the ship with the stolen passports.

"Food here! Get your food here!" announced a man on the deck of the ship pushing a cart. Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot purchased a small bowl of very mushy looking soup.

"This sure is…interesting." Said Smellerbee wrinkling her nose.

"Yeah," agreed Jet. Longshot nodded too. A man passed, holding what looked like a gourmet meal.

"Hey!" shouted Smellerbee, after him. "Who's is that food for?"

"The captain," answered the man briskly, disappearing into a room. Jet raised his eyebrows.

"We need to get that food." He decided. That's when he saw the young man complaining to the older one...Zuko and Iroh.

And at the same time, Suki and the Gaang was halfway across the Serpents Pass.


	6. Attacks and Amnesia

Hurray! It's finally here! Number six--the penultimate chapter of my story :-D. Enjoy

--M

* * *

Suki

"He kissed you!" squealed Lia excitedly as soon as Suki returned and told the others what happened.

"Yep," answered Suki happily.

"Girls, back to work!" shouted one of the other workers as he walked by. Then he stopped. "If you girls aren't doing anything, I have a job outside of here that you could attend to."

"What is it?" asked Suki.

"There have been some reports of fire attacks in a village not far from here. You girls could go investigate it." Suki shrugged in response.

"Well, we're not doing anything here, so why not go?" suggested Sima. The man handed them a map and they were on their way. They had only been in the area for a day when they discovered Appa…

* * *

Jet

Jet opened his eyes drowsily. Everything was foggy and had a dreamlike quality about it. Where were Smellerbee and Longshot? Where was he? He tried to move but he felt stiff. How long had he been there? Questions flooded his brain as he regained consciousness. He struggled to sit up, but then noticed that his arms and legs were strapped down to the thin cot he had been asleep on. Suddenly, he heard voices.

"But sir, what do you intend to do with it here?" asked one voice. It sounded tense.

"Hide it of course," replied the other voice irritably.

"But _sir_," urged the first voice, "this is Lake Laogai, not a zoo!" Jet heard their brisk footsteps stop.

"Are you questioning my judgment?" hissed the second voice, so quietly that Jet could barely hear. When Jet didn't hear a response, he could only assume that the first man had merely shook his head, then the second man continued. "I have some other business to attend to. Good day." Jet heard the footsteps coming towards his room, and feigned sleep again. The second man, was definitely in the room, but Jet did not dare to open his eyes. He heard papers shuffling, and curiosity got the better of him. He opened his eyes a tiny sliver.

The man was reading papers from a file. His back was to Jet, and he was talking almost silently to himself. Suddenly, the man turned around.

"So," he said to no one in particular, "you were acquainted with the avatar…" He pulled a lever and Jet felt the cot sitting up. He pretended to wake up.

"What? Where am I?" he mumbled. The man smiled.

"I have a special mission for you Jet." Said the man smiling. "The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai…" Then Jet could remember no more.

* * *

Azula stood over her victims, smiling, as she always did, when she was victorious.

"Ty Lee, Mai, gather up the warriors' clothes." She ordered.

"Why?" asked Mai.

"Don't question, just do it!" snapped Azula. Mai shrugged and she and Ty Lee stole the clothes quite literally, right off the unconscious warriors.

"This is so weird!" giggled Ty Lee.

"Get their makeup too." Added Azula. She crouched down next to Suki. She knew Suki was their leader. One zap of lightning and she could be finished. She took a breath, then noticed something. Something had fallen out of Suki's pocket when Mai and Ty Lee had stolen her clothes. She picked it up curiously. It resembled a small carved stone; it was some sort of strange talisman. She was about to throw it away when a thought struck her: was it necessary to kill the warriors? What harm could they do? She squeezed the talisman in her fist, then threw it down next to Suki.

"Girls, let's go." She said standing up.

"Where are we going, Azula?" asked Ty Lee as she followed.

"Ba Sing Se." answered Azula. The three girls, with bags of clothes and makeup, left the Kyoshi warriors far behind.

Suki

When Suki opened her eyes, nearly three hours after Azula had left her, the first thing she noticed was the talisman lying next to her. Then she noticed that she was only in her underwear. Shock and confusion seemed to engulf her and she let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Ten minutes later, when the others had woken up, they tried to regroup.

"What happened?" asked Lia. "All I remember is the lightning, and the daggers, and…"

"I know!" said Suki. She had not let go of the talisman. "We were attacked, by those three girls, after that everything just seems to go blank!"

"Is anyone hurt?" questioned Tashi.

"Sima is cut up pretty bad, and Mian has some pretty bad burns," reported Keya, quietly as always. "But we're all in one piece."

"Well, except for all of our clothes!" grumbled Tashi. "Why would they just steal our clothes? And who were they anyway?"

"They were obviously Fire Nation, whoever they were." Added Lia. The others agreed. Out of the blue, Suki thought of a crazy idea.

"What if they took our clothes, and they're going to try to get into Ba Sing Se…as us?"

"Why would they want to do that?" asked Mian speaking for the first time. Of all the girls, she had gotten the worst injuries.

"Because, Fire Nation has been trying to get at Ba Sing Se for awhile, right? The Earth King would be more than glad to allow a couple more great warriors in, so if they disguised as us, it would be like a free ticket in!" In her excitement, she threw her arms up, causing the talisman to fly out of her hand.

"Suki, what was that?" asked Lia, picking up the talisman and looking at it curiously.

"It's a talisman." Answered Suki. "Oyaji gave it to me right before we left. He said it belonged to Avatar Kyoshi."

"Wow…" commented Tashi.

"And I know this sounds weird," continued Suki, "but I think it saved my life."

"How?" asked Keya, curiously.

"I—I'm not sure." Replied Suki honestly. "But, when I woke up, it was there next to me." The girls were silent for a moment, thinking.

"Well, it's obvious what we have to do now, right?" said Tashi, breaking the silence.

"What?" asked Lia.

"We're the only one's who know about the imposters, so we have to go to Ba Sing Se and warn them!" exclaimed Tashi standing up. "The fate of the Earth Kingdom could be in our hands!" She looked to Suki to for support.

"I agree." Said Suki. "Let's go now!" She started to go, then stopped and looked around at her fellow warriors. "Well, let's get some clothes first and _then_ go." They all laughed, then followed Suki to their destiny.


End file.
